


The One With the Birth Mother

by 28crosses



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Friends AU, M/M, Marriage, a little bit of smut, for the friends lovers, friends - Freeform, friends lovers!, louis and harry are in love, obviously, the one with the birth mother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 09:28:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16115591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/28crosses/pseuds/28crosses
Summary: based off "the one with the birth mother" aka one of the best episodes of friends ever made.





	The One With the Birth Mother

Louis pushes the door open to the coffee shop with an unenthusiastic greeting which catches the interest of their friends from the couch, who greet him and Harry in return. He tries to remain unenthusiastic as he puts down both of their bags and says, "We're just here to say goodbye, we're off to Idaho."

“Oh, right,” Liam says turning a bit on the edge of the couch so he’s facing them, “Your adoption interview.”

“Yup,” Harry says, wrapping an arm around Louis and kissing his forehead, “We’re going to meet the lady who could be carrying our baby.”

“I can’t believe it,” Zayn says from the chair beside the couch, “When you guys come back, you’re going to have a baby. That’s so weird!”

“And so incorrect,” Louis cuts in, Harry looking at him with a grin.

“She’s only a couple of months pregnant. She liked our application but who knows if she’s going to like us,” Harry tells him.

“Come on,” Gemma says with a smile, “She’s going to love you guys.”

“Oh, thank you,” Louis says, giving her a soft smile, “But we’re really trying not to get our hopes up.”

“And a lot could still get in our way,” Harry adds.

“Yeah, I mean,” Louis starts, leaning more into Harry who has his arm still wrapped around him, “This girl could decide against adoption or she could like another couple better.”

But their friends won’t have anything of it as Liam perks up and asks, “What are you going to name the baby?”

“I could develop a condition in which I talk and talk and no one hears a word,” Louis says with a sigh. Harry chuckles, but the rest of them seem to just want to stick to the topic of of-course-they’ll-get-this-baby-what-could-go-wrong.

Zayn perks up and says, “But just think, okay?”

“Okay,” Harry agrees, which Louis knows is not a good thing. He doesn’t need them to be flying off to Idaho only for Harry to get his heart broken. No one in the world wants a baby more, Louis is sure of it, and having this woman say know will absolutely break him. Both of them.

“What if everything goes right? What if this woman does pick you guys?”

“Oh my, God,” Harry says, just as Louis knew he would. “She’s going to pick us.”

“So we’re standing firm on the not getting our hopes up?”

“You know, I know things could still go wrong but if they don’t?” He’s looking at Louis with such wide-eyed hope that Louis can’t seem to find any words. “If this works, we’re going to have a baby, Louis. A baby!”

“Yes, but—”

“Oh my, God, it’s going to WORK!” He says, looking at their friends now, “We’re going to make it work. I’m going to be a daddy and so is Louis.”

“Babe,” Louis tries to cut in again.

“All right, I’ll see you suckers. I’m going to get me a baby!”

Harry lifts his luggage and heads to the door while Louis slowly grabs his up, looking at his friends who also all have those hopeful eyes. Maybe this could work. He pulls his bag over his shoulder and says, “Oh, screw it, I’m going to be a daddy!”

They head off to the airport and are both so nervous that neither seem to really be able to keep up an actual conversation. They talk about nothing important, catch each other up on anything they might’ve skipped on over their busy week. They’d been catching up because of the time they’d be taking off for this meeting.

“So, can we talk about the elephant in the room?”

“Go for it,” Louis says easily.

“Do you really want a baby?”

“I want everything with you.”

“I don’t want to do anything you aren’t 100% on, Louis, I know you’ve always had such a crazy big family and are probably scared. I’m scared. This is all I’ve wanted my entire life and someone picked us and gosh, I’m rambling.”

“You are,” Louis says with a chuckle, rubbing his husband’s knee gently, “But it’s okay. Yes, I want this. Of course I’m scared, but I’m more excited. And you have wanted this your entire life and it must be overwhelming to have it right in front of you like this, but we’re in this together. Like always, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Harry breathes out with a smile. He leans forward and gently presses their lips together, “I love you, you know that?”

“I do.”

“Very much.”

“You know I love you just as much back, Harry.”

“I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“Only behind me.”

Harry grins, “You are pretty lucky.”

Louis just laughs and allows Harry to carry on the conversation from plane to hotel room to the agency office. They both dressed in suits, not knowing the appropriate wear for this kind of thing. They’d tied their ties at least ten times each and then did each other’s on the eleventh. The nerves were more real as they sat in the waiting room and when they were finally called back, Louis felt like he might just explode.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable and I will be back in a moment with Grace.”

“Okay, thank you,” Harry says as Jim, the agency guy, closes the door behind him. “Well, this is it. Are you okay?”

The walk over to the couch together as Louis thinks on what to say, placing their coats over the back of the couch. Once they sit and readjust a bit, he says, “Yeah. Just weird, you know? It’s like ‘Hi, I’m Louis. May I have the human growing inside you?’”

“Louis,” Harry says with a chuckle. “We’re going to be great.”

“You’re going to be great,” Louis says softly.

“Well, obviously,” Harry says, to which Louis just smiles. He’s nervous, that’s all. They both are.

Just then the door opens and Jim comes in saying, “Harry, Louis, I’d like you to meet Grace.”

They both stand and Harry reaches out happily to shake the woman’s hand. She’s beautiful, curly blonde hair pulled back, blue eyes that match Louis’ own and a great smile. “Hi, it is so nice to meet you,” Harry says kindly.

“Hi,” she says shyly.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to see us,” Louis adds.

“Well,” Jim says, clapping his hands together, “I’ll just let you all get acquainted and be back in a little while to grab Grace. Please.”

He motions for them to sit again, and so they do, watching Jim walk out and waiting for him to close the door before turning back to Grace. She pushes some hair behind her ear and asks, “So, it’s Louis and Harry?”

They nod and Harry says, “Yes.”

“I only know you as file CRW33815 dash D,” she says with an exhale.

“That’s what our friends call us,” Louis says gently, getting a chuckle out of the girl. He could tell she was just as nervous and quite young, too. Having four sisters really prepared him for something like this. He knew how to calm her down. Get her to laugh.

“Gosh,” she says, putting the paper she was holding with what Louis guessed was their information, down. “You know, you’re just such an amazing couple. It’s kind of intimidating.”

“I don’t know about that,” Harry says, leaning into his husband despite his comment. He had to agree, they were pretty great together.

“Are you kidding me?” she asks, getting animated. She looks at Louis, “It’s enough that you’re a doctor. But on top of it, you’re married to a reverend?”

Louis raises his eyebrows as Harry sits straight up. The realization that this woman hadn’t actually chosen them just about floors Louis as he starts to say, “I don’t think that’s exactly—”

“Let her finish, doctor.”

“It’s incredible,” Grace continues. “When I decided I wanted to give my baby up for adoption I knew I wanted a gay couple, because my dad and papa are the best people in my life. And to find a doctor and a reverend on top of that? I knew it was meant to be.”

“So, the fact that I am a doctor and my husband is a reverend, that’s important to you?”

“Yeah,” she says with a smile, “I read some great applications, but then I thought, ‘who better than a minister to raise a child?’”

“Amen!” Harry says abruptly, causing Louis to stare at him wide eyed. He can’t possibly want to go along with this. But looking at Harry and seeing the absolute desperation in his eyes, he knew he did, and that he would, no matter what this woman said. He wouldn’t be able to say much until later to sway him.

“Plus, I thought the baby would be in good hands with a doctor.”

“Good hands,” Harry says, reaching for Louis’ and looking back at Grace, “Healing hands.”

“Reverend, can I ask?” Grace says, scooting forward a bit, “Does the bible say anything about adoption?”

“It says do it!” Louis just stares at his husband, mostly just worried about whether or not he should stop this or let it be. He should probably stop it. “And behold she did adopt unto them a baby. And it was good.”

“Wow.”

Definitely should stop it, “Yeah, wow.” But Harry looks at him with pleading eyes and he keeps his mouth shut. ‘No one in the world wants a baby more than Harry,’ he reminds himself.

“I was wondering, you both have such serious jobs,” Grace says, looking back to Harry, “Would you have time to take care of a baby and your flock?”

Okay, too young to be having a baby. This time Louis means to cut in but Harry interrupts with, “Oh, you know, my flock is good. I mean, yeah, my flock pretty much takes care of themselves at this point. Good flock. Flock, flock, flock.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Louis thinks as he wonders how they’ll ever explain this as Harry just gets them deeper. This time, Grace looks to him.

“Being a doctor must take up a lot of time,” she says, nodding her head still to what Harry had said.

“Not for me it doesn’t,” he says, to which Harry hits his knee and then looks back to Grace.

“So,” Jim says as he reenters the room, closing the door behind him. Harry lets out a breath of relief when it seems as though Louis might not have to ask any more questions.

“We’re great,” Grace says with a smile, “I think I may have asked all of my questions.”

“Do you have any questions for Grace?”

“Yeah, actually,” Louis says as Harry takes his hand and squeezes. He looks at his husband who eases up a bit as he asks, “So, you read a file that you liked and you gave the agency the serial number and they contacted us?”

“Yes,” Jim says with a smile of his own, “Our system assures total anonymity. We’re very proud of it.”

“You should be,” Louis says, looking back to Harry, “You’re really on top of stuff.”

“Well, then, if there’s nothing else, then the two of us should talk.”

“Actually,” Grace says, standing up and looking at Jim, “I don’t think we have to.”

Harry’s head snaps up, “We don’t?”

“Yeah,” she says with a smile as Louis and Harry just stare up at her. Partly in shock and partly in disbelief. “When I read about you two, I was pretty sure I wanted you, but I just thought we should meet face to face. I’ve made my decision. I choose them.”

Harry puts his hands over his mouth before standing up and grabbing for Grace’s, Louis standing too. “Oh my, God, this is great! This is so great.” He turns to Louis, “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Grace smiles and lets out another nervous laugh, which reminds Louis that this is a young girl. A young girl who should be able to trust the people she is willing to give her unborn child too. So, even as Harry thanks her again and exclaims, “You are so going to Heaven!” Louis wonders how he’ll break the news that he isn’t willing to lie to the woman who’s about to give them a child.

The ride back to their hotel room is quiet, Harry nervously twitching next to Louis in the car. He either could feel the tension radiating off of Louis or also felt like they had done something really wrong today. Which they had. Louis had done a lot of crazy things in his life, and most of them were because of how much he loved Harry, but he couldn’t do this. This was another person’s life, two when it was all done and over, and they couldn’t take advantage of that. Even if Grace had said yes, she hadn’t said yes to them. It was wrong.

So when they walked into the hotel room, Harry immediately through his coat over the desk chair and Louis shut the door behind him. He said, “We are not signing those papers.”

“Why not?”

“It’s wrong. They made a mistake,” Louis explains, crazy even at the idea that Harry doesn’t understand how crazy he’s being. “They think we’re somebody else.”

Harry just crosses his arms over his chest and says, “God works in mysterious ways.”

“You have got to stop,” Louis says, throwing his own coat a lot less neatly on the bed.

“But she liked us.”

“She likes Doctor Louis and Reverend Harry.”

So Harry stands a little taller and says, “Well, if you think about it, I am kind of like a Reverend. I mean, as a chef, I serve God by feeding the hungry and poor.”

Harry makes a face after he successfully comes up with what he believes to be a good excuse, but Louis just says, “Your Veal Chop is $34.95,” even though that’s not even the point.

“Come on, Louis,” he says, moving closer and messing with his jacket a little bit as he says, “I think we have been given an opportunity. I mean, the mistake has already been made. They are writing up the paper work right now.”

“But we are not the ones she chose,” Louis says, taking Harry’s hands off his jacket and putting them to his sides. “How can you feel okay about this?”

“Because,” Harry says, his voice losing all jab behind it. He just sounds broken, hurt, lost already. “We may not be who she thinks we are, but no one will ever love that baby more than us.”

“I know,” Louis says softly, moving closer. But Harry continues, his voice breaking on every word.

“I mean, who knows how long it’s going to take for someone else to give us a baby? What if, what if no one ever picks us?”

“Oh, honey,” Louis says, but Harry just begs.

“Please. Please, we are so close.”

Louis just stares at his husband, the hurt radiating off him even as Louis’ own heart feels like it’s caving in. He says, “Harry, I want a baby too. But this woman is giving away her child and she deserves to know who it’s going to.”

Harry just stares at him for a few moments before looking down and picking at his nails. A nervous habit. Louis gently takes his hands in his owns and kisses Harry’s knuckles, causing their eyes to meet. So Harry says, “Okay, you’re right.”

Louis nods and kisses his cheek, pulling him into a hug, “So, we’ll tell her the truth. And who knows, maybe she’ll like us for us?”

“Maybe she will,” Harry agrees, pulling away a little bit, “Why couldn’t I have been a reverend?”

“You’re Jewish, H.”

“Technicality,” he scoffs, but Louis just pulls him into another hug. They stand there for what feels like forever as the weight of what happened today settles over them. Louis feels crazy, like he always does around Harry, like he always has. They lied about who they were to a woman that is willing to give her child away. It felt wrong, and yet, the look in Harry’s eyes when she’s said yes to them has been enough to shut him up. He’d do anything to give Harry a baby, anything.

They order in and turn on a sitcom which neither of them pay attention to. Under the covers, Louis can feel how cold Harry is, how jittery he is. So he pulls him into his arms and whispers, “We’ll find a way around this, H. I’ll get you that baby. I promised you one and I don’t break my promises.”

“What if she doesn’t like who we really are?”

Louis kisses his hair as Harry starts to rub his fingers up and down Louis’ chest, “She will, she liked us yesterday, she’ll like us tomorrow too.”

“Even after she realizes we’re big fat liars?”

“You’re too loveable, she’ll at least love you.”

Harry smiles and presses a kiss to Louis’ chest. “I’m sorry for being crazy today, I know you wanted to say something right off. I’m sorry for always being crazy.”

“You aren’t crazy so much as passionate about what you want.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Harry scoffs, continuing to press kisses along Louis’ skin.

“The better way to put it.”

“I really want a baby,” Harry whispers, pressing a lingering kiss to Louis’ tummy. “I want a baby with you.”

Louis’ breath seems to catch at that as Harry’s eyes meet his again. So he pushes Harry onto his back, moving over him. Their eyes meet and Harry looks confused until Louis moves down and begins to press kisses to Harry’s stomach instead. He pulls the covers over them and just nuzzles, warming him up and feeling his breath pick up. It’s one of Louis’ favorite things in the world, watching Harry be at his mercy. He loved it, loved the feeling and loved him. 

“I’ll give you a baby, Harry,” Louis says, kissing his way back up to his lips. Their lips part naturally for each other as they deepen the kiss and Harry’s hands find their way into Louis’ hair as they start to move together. Louis felt every bit of his passion for Harry fuel him as he explored everything he already knew, as his hands ran down his skin and he began to sweat. Harry was everywhere all at once but Louis couldn’t seem to get enough.

Eventually, Louis’ lips began to trail down Harry’s body again as he pulled his pants down his legs and palmed him over the fabric of his boxers. He loved knowing he was the only one that got Harry like this, that got to see him fall apart, groan and it was only his name that left Harry’s lips. He loved when he was finally able to wrap his hand around him, spreading pre come to make the slide easier.

“Louis, Lou,” Harry whimpered, bringing their lips back together. The got each other to full hardness before Harry spread his legs and willed Louis between them, “Lube, outside pocket of my bag. Please.”

“Okay, baby,” Louis says, kissing Harry’s forehead before getting up and going to grab it. He spreads it on two fingers and presses one gently against Harry’s hold, feeling Harry already opening up to him. This is something they were quite good at. When he began to press inside, Harry moaned, throwing his head back onto the pillows. Louis worked inside him, pressing kisses and biting into his thighs, leaving marks he’d feel the next day. When Harry was pressing against all three of his fingers, he didn’t hesitate to pull out and crawl up Harry’s body again.

“Good,” Harry promises as he breathlessly moans against Louis’ lips. “In, want you. Always want you.”

So he does. Louis begins to slowly push inside Harry, a bit at a time, like he knows Harry enjoys. When he finally bottoms out they both just whisper ‘I love you’ over and over, kissing the pain away and waiting for the good. When it comes, Harry moves his hips, causing them both to gasp. But Louis doesn’t move, pressing a kiss to Harry’s forehead, “We’re going to figure this out, together, like we always do.”

“I know, Louis,” Harry says, his eyes rolling back into his head as he begins to circle his hips with Louis pressed deep inside him, “Come on, fuck me.”

“No,” Louis says, pulling out and gently pushing back in, “I’m going to make love to you tonight.”

“Yeah?” Harry asks, biting his lip as Louis begins to slowly push inside him. “Feels good.”

“Love a baby makes,” Louis whispers, kissing Harry’s forehead. They don’t talk after that, and Louis makes love to Harry. Slowly, passionately and fully. They go for a while, until Louis gets to that perfect spot, and they fall apart together. Harry is disgusting, full of cum both inside him and on his stomach, but neither of them care much as they hold each other tightly.

“Think we made a baby?” he asks once their highs start to fall.

“Think if we keep thinking we did,” Louis says softly, pulling Harry a little tighter to him, “I think we did.”

“Me too,” Harry says softly.

“I love you.”

“I love you,” Harry says back. They fall asleep just like that.

When they walk back into the office that morning, they’ve both agreed they’ll say something. They have to, it’s only right. So when they open the door and see both Jim and Grace there, they’re taken aback. They figured it’d only be Jim as Grace had chosen them yesterday.

“Hi,” Louis says as they sit across from them.

“Good morning,” Jim says, smiling. “These are the preliminary forms for an open adoption. There’s a lot to go over, but I’ll explain everything as we go through it.”

Louis looks to Harry, who is looking at a black and white picture on the table. But it’s not just any picture, and Louis can feel every bit of resolve they’d come to just drop from Harry as he asks, “I-Is that a picture?”

“Yeah,” Grace says softly, “It’s a sonogram they took of the baby last week. I thought you might want to see it.”

When Harry takes the picture, Louis already knows he can’t do it. Especially when Harry says, “Look, doctor!”

“Hey,” Louis says softly, just so Harry can hear. He gently takes the picture and places it on the table, taking Harry’s hands in his own. “Look, before we sign anything we really have to talk. We’re not who you think we are.”

“I don’t understand,” Jim says.

“The agency must have made some mistake,” Louis continues, squeezing Harry’s hands as he can feel them shaking, “My husband is not a reverend and I am not a doctor.”

“What?” Grace asks.

“That’s impossible,” Jim agrees.

“I could perform an operation on you and prove it if you’d like.”

“Louis,” Harry warns.

“I’ll go check your file,” Jim says, standing up, “Excuse me.”

Once he’s left, Grace asks, “So, who are you?”

“Well, our names really are Louis and Harry. We’re from New York.”

“Yes,” Harry interrupts, scooting forward on the couch, “But the important thing to know about us is how much we would care for this little baby.”

But Grace just ask, “So you lied before?”

“Well—” Harry starts, but Grace interrupts.

“I can’t believe this!”

“But we were hoping that since we told you the truth that you still might consider—”

“Giving you my baby?” she asks, standing up and cradling her stomach. “You think I’d give you my child after this?”

“Well, you don’t have to decide right now, but if you could just look at our file—” Harry is hysterical at the end, but Grace only interrupts again.

“I don’t want to look at your file!” she yells, “This is over.”

She leaves, leaving the door open as she cradles her stomach and quickly walks away. But Louis follows after her, not even looking at Harry as he catches up to her and says, “Grace, wait.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” she shoots back.

“You have every reason to be upset,” he says, tapping her arm so she’ll stop. She does. “We did lie. But only because we’ve been waiting and trying to have a baby for so long. Now we don’t know how long it’s going to be before we can get another chance again.”

Showing her age once again, Grace says, “Why don’t you ask the reverend to pray on it?”

“Grace, please,” Louis says desperately. She was hurt and Louis knew why, but he wanted this so bad. He wanted it for Harry more than anything else. “Just consider us. Ask them to see our file. Our last name’s Tomlinson. My husband’s a chef and I’m in advertising.”

“Oh, yeah,” she murmurs, cradling her stomach again. “I actually liked you guys.”

“See,” Louis says softly.

But she just glares again, “It doesn’t matter, because what you did was wrong.”

“But you did like us,” Louis says, following her as she walks away again. “And you should. My husband is an incredible man. He’s loving, devoted and so caring. And please don’t tell him I said this, but he’s always right. About everything. I love him more than anything in this world and it kills me that I can’t give him a baby any other way. We aren’t rich, we can’t do this the way we’d like because we aren’t. I really want a kid, too. And when the day finally comes, I’ll learn how to be a good dad. I’ve had some good practice. But, my husband? He’s already there. He’s a parent without a baby. Please?”

Grace looks at him for a moment before sighing, "I really did like you guys."

"You did like us," Louis agrees, "You should."

"You don't need to say the speech again," she says with a small smile, "I'll give you my baby."

"You will?"

"Yes," she says, and Louis doesn't hesitate to hug her. She hugs back and then tells him to go tell Harry, so he does.

"Harry?" Louis says when he opens the door, closing it behind him, "You still want that baby?"

Harry lets out a breath, grinning and running over to him. They hug each other tightly, holding onto the good that would come. "God bless you, Louis Tomlinson."

They laugh, they kiss and they wait. He'd gotten Harry his baby.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me at @helianthuslou on twitter if you maybe wanna tell me what you think :) thanks for reading!!
> 
> this is dedicated to all the friends lovers :) most of this is based exactly off of the show, so it's not just my mind. thank the writers of friends for this incredible storyline with a little bit added to it for the larry au lovers out there!


End file.
